Racial Slur, Swastika Found At Sleepy Hollow School

SLEEPY HOLLOW, NY — A racial slur and a swastika were found etched into a toilet paper dispenser in a bathroom at the Sleepy Hollow Middle/High School Monday. The defacement was found by a custodial staff member who reported it to the administration.

In a letter to the community Thursday, Superintendent Christopher Borsari said the dispenser was replaced and an investigation was opened, the Journal News reported, and the expression of hate and intolerance was condemned.

State Sen. David Carlucci, D-Westchester/Rockland, said in a statement that the root causes of acts of anti-Semitism need to be addressed.

"It's sad this happened among children as young as middle schoolers," he said. "This is why I am very strongly pushing to pass legislation to bring age appropriate instruction about hate symbols like swastikas and nooses into classroom education.

"Hate is a learned behavior, and we can teach against it," Carlucci said.

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